Australia & England name playing XI for Sydney Test
Usman Khawaja has replaced Travis Head as Australia named their playing XI for the fourth Ashes Test, starting Wednesday, January 5 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Khawaja hasn’t played Test since the 2019 Ashes in England and got a chance after Head was tested positive for COVID-19. Head is currently isolating in Melbourne along with his partner as per the rules of the Victorian government.
Head is presently the second-highest run-scorer of the series, having amassed 248 runs from three games at an average of 62. His top score of 152 came in the first innings of the opening Test at The Gabba in Brisbane. Josh Hazlewood hasn’t gained full fitness and hence couldn’t make the cut for the SCG Test, Aussie skipper Pat Cummins confirmed.
“It’s no secret that if Joshy Hazlewood was available then he was going to play. He’s been just a brilliant bowler for us for a long period of time. We gave Josh every chance we could, just felt like he couldn’t bowl at full tilt yesterday. We’re still hoping he’ll be right for Hobart,” Cummins told.
Scott Boland retains his spot in the Australia XI
Fast bowler Scott Boland, who replaced Jhye Richardson in the Boxing Day Test, retained his place in the team. Cummins said that it would have been unfair on Boland to sit out especially after his six-wicket haul in the Melbourne Test.
Boland also became the Player of the Match in the MCG Test that Australia won by an innings and 14 runs. Moreover, Cummins lauded the pacer for hitting the right channels and adding value to the Australia pace bowling unit.
“You need that disciplined stump-to-stump bowler and that’s what Scotty brings to the table. It’s a real luxury for us to have someone like Scotty … we feel really well placed at the moment with so many options,” Cummins stated.
“It would have been a real shame to see Scotty not play this week after his efforts last week. He’s bowling as well as he ever has, it’s great that he can keep going from last week,” Cummins added.
Australia have already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series after their resounding win in Melbourne.
Australia XI
Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
Broad overlooked for Brisbane and Melbourne Tests
Broad was a part of the Day Night Adelaide Test, but didn’t play in the Brisbane and Melbourne Tests. The 35-year-old remains England’s all-time second-highest Test wicket-taker with 526 scalps from 150 matches since his debut back in 2007.
The Nottingham-born Broad, earlier, expressed his agony after not getting chances in the first and third Test matches in the series.
“As a wobble-seam bowler, I feel as though I missed out on two of the best wobble-seam pitches in Australia. Only playing once has made this a very disappointing trip, one that has not met my personal expectations,” Broad said.
“The biggest frustration is losing the Ashes, being 3-0 down and feeling like I’ve not really done anything. Not being able, as an experienced player, to influence a series while it’s live is tough,” he stated.
“I would argue that I won’t get a better chance to take wickets than at Brisbane and Melbourne,” Broad.
England are currently trailing the five-match series 0-3, having lost all the three matches in a pretty comprehensive manner. They will be going into the game after losing the Boxing Day Test by an innings and 14 runs.
England XI
Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson
Both the teams have declared their playing XIs for the 4th Test. It begins tomorrow in Sydney. #Ashes pic.twitter.com/VdmZ3orBJD
— 100MB (@100MasterBlastr) January 4, 2022
